Interloper: Child of Thunder
by M.B.Liddle
Summary: Quick one-shot set in the future of the Interloper storyline. A street level view of the tail end of the initial Reaper invasion of Earth.


Interloper: Child of Thunder

**So given the relatively large gaps in updates within the Interloper universe, I figured I'd give you guys a sneak peak into the future of the story. This takes right at the beginning of what would be Mass Effect 3. I churned it out one day a while back and I feel pretty proud of it, personally. Not particularly spoiler heavy, so feel free to read and drop a review.**

"Look, up in the sky!" one of the young ensigns pointed up into the overcast sky. I followed the line of her finger to spot the hovering, dagger-like shape of one of the Alliance's new cruisers. She hung in the sky like a readied sword, her hull still unclad in the customary white paint of her station as an Alliance warship.

"It's the _SSV River Blackwater_!" one of the gathered ensigns identified her, "Fresh from the shipyards!"

The _Blackwater_ moved slowly at first, putting herself between the civilian ships and the Reapers that rampaged through the cities. She was not uncontested though, as one of the massive alien ships crashed down into the water of the bay, then another, and another, until three of the impossibly immense craft stood in opposition. They bellowed their war horns in defiance of the tiny cruiser. But the _Blackwater_ was not to be deterred. She shook with barely contained energy before unleashing a torrent of molten tungsten. Her powerful phoenix cannons roared as they burst forth in a blinding lance, stabbing out in desperation against the megalithic lead Reaper.

Then, something amazing happened. Perhaps by some miracle, or some interaction with the Earth's natural gravitic field, the lance was not turned away by the Reaper's supposedly impenetrable kinetic barriers. It bore down instead, cutting and slicing and dealing the massive alien a dire wound. As molten metal dripped steaming into the ocean bay, the ensigns around me began cheering on the human warship.

"Come on, _Blackwater_!" they yelled, at once terrified and elated in equal measure. I felt my own heart catch in my chest at the savage beauty of it. Hoping to press its advantage, the cruiser shuddered again, a second blast shot down from the valiant craft. The bright white light once again made its impression know on the invader, scoring another deep scar across the armoured surface. But the Reapers would not be defied without cost. The two unwounded Reapers raised their weapons, and as one returned fire. The faces, so recently jubilant, fell as they targeted the grey clad ship. Whatever trick the ship's captain had used to pierce the invader's defenses must have stripped him of his own, for the red beams seared through his ship without resistance. Bulkheads blistered and blackened, supports wilted and buckled, and the ship caught afire.

But even in its destruction the _Blackwater_ spat its defiance. Engines flaring, the ship drove forward even as it fell. Its weapon fired one last time until an explosion silenced it for good. The wreckage collided with the Reaper, igniting in a blinding flash. The Reaper bellowed as its machine-flesh was torn in ruin. The twisted organic vehicle reeled in its destruction, shards of the valiant _Blackwater_ still lodged in its heart. It fell across the bay and lay still, never again to threaten a human life. Its brothers raised their war horns in an ululating cry to their victory over mankind.

Flares began to fall in the leaden sky, burning wreckage of the defending fleets, cast down like meteors to their destruction. They were mirrored, if weakly, by the trails of escaping starships, the _Blackwater's_ sacrifice at least giving the civilians a chance to run. As the first burning fragments began to patter down on the roofs of the city, I turned away from the sight. Nothing now stood between the Reapers and their prize. The Earth was theirs now. I stepped aboard the transport a broken man, the conflict I had been expecting for more than half a decade had come, and I had not been ready for its true horror, none of us had. The hatch closed on lost world and as the sound of battle was replaced by the thrumming of powerful engines, I sank to the deck in tears.


End file.
